It’s an increasingly common scenario as artificial intelligence, supported by government policies, reshapes China<\/a>\u2019s massive job market. Some economists believe that might eventually undermine the overall strength of the world’s second largest economy. <\/p>\n Rapid adoption of AI<\/a> in many fields, from computer programmers to script writing and physical tasks, is pushing people out of their jobs or leaving them afraid that it might.<\/p>\n China is at the vanguard of AI adoption as government policies encourage people and businesses to use AI applications and robotics in all aspects of life, so people like Fei are figuring out how to adapt. <\/p>\n \u201cThere appears to be far less anti-AI sentiment in China (than elsewhere). Most people seem either positive, neutral, or mildly interested in AI,\u201d said Shujing He, a Beijing-based senior analyst at advisory and research firm Plenum.<\/p>\n \u201cIndividuals who worry about being replaced, as well as those who have already left traditional workplaces, are often eager to experiment with AI-enabled businesses and independent ventures,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n \u201cThe level of interest is striking.\u201d<\/p>\n Until recently, Fei had doubted AI could do programming work perfectly, even though his bosses thought it was close enough.<\/p>\n \u201cMid-level coders\u2019 job are essentially replaceable in most of the cases,\u201d said Fei, 40. <\/p>\n \u201cEven if it is a disaster that leads to replacing all humans, at this stage, you just have to use it as everyone else is using it.\u201d<\/p>\n Now he’s making vlog-style short videos during a career break while figuring out what he wants to do next. He’s not making a living off of his videos, which are about ordinary people’s lives, but hopes that they might help others.<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t beat them, join them <\/p>\n Du Qinchun, a part-time translator, has been helping to train an AI model to do translations. That\u2019s brought him more work, at least temporarily.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s true that the pay in the industry has been cut by more than half compared to what it was years ago,\u201d said Du, who is based in southwestern China\u2019s Chengdu<\/a> city.<\/p>\n The trend is so evident that popular college programmes in foreign languages have increasingly fallen out of favour as AI-powered translation tools have become more widespread.<\/p>\n The share of Chinese industrial enterprises saying they use AI models and \u201cagents\u201d jumped to 47.5 per cent last year from 9.6 per cent in 2024, according to the market intelligence firm IDC.<\/p>\n \u201cChina\u2019s vibrant open-source model ecosystem fosters greater AI application innovation in industrial settings, gradually closing the gap between foundational model capabilities and real-world enterprise value creation,\u201d said Yanze Du, an IDC senior research manager in Beijing.<\/p>\n Humanoid robots can now, for example, sort parcels in postal centres, although still on a small-scale basis, and are pushing the boundaries in performing more human tasks such as directing traffic and making coffee. Food delivery robots are also gaining ground across the country, potentially threatening the livelihoods of millions of Chinese food delivery workers.<\/p>\n Generative AI increasingly is used for creation, production and distribution in China\u2019s short drama industry. The number of live-action short and vertical video series designed for mobile phones fell about 75% in the first quarter of this year from a year earlier, according to Chinese media reports. <\/p>\n \u201cTasks that once required specialised training can now be performed by almost anyone with access to AI tools. This is particularly evident in software development and multimedia creation,\u201d said Plenum\u2019s He. \u201cAs a result, workers whose roles are narrowly concentrated in these areas may face greater displacement risk.\u201d<\/p>\n A report from International Labor Organization, meanwhile, found that women face higher risks of losing employment due to use of AI than men, as they tend to work in areas more suitable for automation, such as assembling electronics, and remain underrepresented in science and technology. <\/p>\n AI has mixed effects on the slowing economy<\/p>\n Under China’s \u201cAI Plus\u201d initiative and its five-year plan through 2030, the government is pushing to infuse AI across many industries, aiming to gain an edge in China’s technology rivalry with the U.S. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat is specific to China is that the government is really into diffusing AI across the economy, so AI may get into different domains more quickly comparing to other countries,\u201d said Zilan Qian, a research associate at Oxford China Policy Lab.<\/p>\n China’s economic growth has already been slowing. Consumer spending<\/a> has lagged partly due to people becoming reluctant to spend because they’re worried about losing their jobs. It’s added to problems stemming from a prolonged downturn in the housing market that has undermined household wealth.<\/p>\n![\"Representative.](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2249055575...jpeg\")
Representative. A man checking a pair of smart glasses with a display and camera using artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) during a presentation event in Hangzhou, in China’s eastern Zhejiang province (AFP\/Getty)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2272184430...jpeg\")
A man takes photos of a DeepSeek display at a shopping mall in Hangzhou, in China’s eastern Zhejiang province on April 23, 2026. Chinese startup DeepSeek released a new artificial intelligence model with “drastically reduced” costs on April 24, more than a year after it stunned the world with a low-cost reasoning model that matched the capabilities of US rivals. (Photo by CN-STR \/ AFP via Getty Images) \/ China OUT (AFP\/Getty)<\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2290655044...jpeg\")
People visit the stand of a humanoid robot (C) produced by iFLY AIBOT during the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing on August 20, 2026 (AFP\/Getty)<\/p>\n
![\"Humanoid](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2291136845...jpeg\")
Humanoid robots vie for the ball during a football match at the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on August 23, 2026. (Photo by Pedro PARDO \/ AFP via Getty Images) (AFP\/Getty)<\/p>\n